Method and apparatus for producing braid



Jan. 25, 1938. c. .1. BUSCH 2,106,674

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING BRAIDv Filed May 23, 1 936 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l v 27 I INVENTOR.

I onz'wllimsch BY 17 WTM Y.

Jan. 25, 1938. c J, BUSCH 2,106,674

METHOD AND APrARATus FOR PRODUCING BRAID Filed May 23, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 AT RNEY.

IN V EN TOR: @zwzuZJ-Ewscig i l Qddddddd A wdid i F fixxwwxxxxwmwwwwxw1mm w fi, 0 Ill. H I. A w w H a W W% Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING BRAID Conrad J. Busch, Wyomissing. Pa., assignor to The Narrow Fabric Company, West Reading, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 23-, 1936, Serial No. 81,356

19 Claims.

This invention relates to braiding machines, particularly braiding machines of the type generally referred to as bi-circle or radium braiders, and to an improved method of braiding.

In connection with the widespread use of narrow elastic fabrics having special selvedge edge structure, thereby to facilitate attachment thereof to hosiery and the like, certain production problems arise. Thus when narrow elastic fabric is to be impaled upon the needles of a knitting ma chine and the garment subsequently knitted thereto, it has been found desirable to space the selvedge of the elastic fabric from the main body thereof by a structure embodying a series of regularly spaced openings. Although fabrics embodying the aforesaid characteristics have been heretofore produced on other types of braiding machines, it has not been possible to produce braided material of this type on radium or bicircle braiding machines. To adapt a braiding machine of this class for producing fabric embodying the aforesaid desired characteristics, it is necessary among other things, to provide for selective variation of the extent of travel of the various carriers.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a bi-circle or radium braider capable of producing elastic fabrics of the type referred to.

Another object is to provide an improved method of producing braided fabrics of the mentioned type.

Still another object is to provide novel means for producing braided fabric having a selvedge spaced from the main body of the fabric and anchored thereto by a series of regularly spaced transverse braiding yarns.

A further object is to provide, in connection with a braiding machine of the type disclosed, means whereby the travel of selected carriers may be reversed at a point spaced from an end of the raceway.

With these and other objects in view, which will more readily become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative emelements extending from the lower portion of the Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the understructure of the mechanisrnillustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken substantially on 5 the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a strip of braided fabric produced in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the fabric structure shown in Fig. 5. l0

Braiding machines of the bi-circle or radium type include a duplex run or raceway which is constructed of a pair of communicating sinuous raceways of open-circle construction which are concentrically arranged to permit the carriers to move from one raceway to the other and back again in predetermined order controlled by pattern mechanism. In machines of this general nature a deck or topplate I0 is supported by a lower plate l2 through means of intermediate supporting studs l3, Fig. 1. Two series of quoits or tellers l4 and [5 are arranged in concentric parallel relationship by means of gear bolts l6 and I7, respectively which are secured to the bottom plate l2 in manner best illustrated in Fig. 4, It will be noted that the edges of the tellers, although paralleling the inner edge of the cut-out portion of the deck ID, are however sufliciently removed therefrom to effect two runs or raceways respectively indicated at l8 and IS. The raceways I8 and [9 are arranged to effect a duplex communicating structure in which the carriers move from one raceway to the other in sequence controlled by pattern mechanisms generally indicated at22 and 23. Two sets of switches 24 and 25, pairs of which are pivoted to common supporting axles 29, are respectively controlled by the pattern mechanisms 22 and 23 through means of intermediate linkages including rods and 32 respectively. These switches, in addition to intermediate switches 33 which are normally held in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1 by resilient means, operate to guide the carriers from one raceway to another in accordance with the desired pattern.

Movement of the carriers around sinuous raceways is effected through means of horn gears 26 which rotate about the gear bolts l6 and I1. The gear portions 21 of the gears 26 intermesh with each other in manner effecting a continuous gear train, all members of which train rotate simultaneously with the operation of the drive gear. The upper portions of the members 26. have horn portions 28 which coact with the usual pin or lug carrier by means of which operation of the carriers is effected.

A series of stop actuator levers 34 are pivotally positioned on the top plate In at spaced intervals about the raceways I8 and I9. These levers 34 cooperate with suitable members supported by the carriers to stop operation of the machine in the usual manner. This operation is effected under various conditions as for instance, when the yarn is ruptured or tensioned beyond a predetermined degree. Attached to one of these stop actuators 34 is a loop or ring 35 for the purpose of facilitating manual operation of the stop actuator mechanism.

Provision is made for manually operating the machine through means of hand levers 36 which are operatively supported on the deck H], see Fig. 1.

It will be noted that certain of the gear bolts l6 of the outer raceway are of a hollow structure, Fig. 3, thereby providing means for introducing longitudinal warp threads to the braiding point. These longitudinal warp threads are interbraided with the transverse threads, supplied from the carriers 20, in a manner necessary to produce fabric of the type illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, which in the present instance is generally indicated by the reference numeral 3|.

In machines of the type disclosed the carriers move from the single switches 33 to the pattern controlled switches 24 and 25 thereby providing means for selectively guiding carriers from one raceway to the other each time they pass the switches. With the switches positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the carriers in the inner raceway is moving in a clockwise direction will necessarily continue in this raceway until their direction of travel is reversed at the end of the raceway, while the carriers which are shown as moving in a counterclockwise direction in the inner raceway will be directed into the outer raceway l 8 upon their next engagement with the pattern controlled switches. Furthermore, with the switches positioned as shown, the carriers in the outer raceway l8 which are shown as moving in a clockwise direction will pass over to the inner raceway as soon as they contact a switch, whereas those carriers moving in a counterclockwise direction will remain in the outer raceway until after they have reached the terminus of the raceway and reversed their directional movement. Of course this routine may be reversed upon shifting of all of the pattern controlled switches; or the routine of selected carriers may be changed by shifting the desired switches.

It will thus be appreciated that inasmuch as there are no warp threads fed through the gear bolts ll, movement of the carriers around one or more tellers of the inner raceway will successively float the thread over a corresonding number of longitudinal warps. It is by means of this floating of selected threads on one face of the fabric over a distance covering a plurality of warp threads that a design effect is embodied in the fabric as for example is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

In braiding maclfines of the type disclosed the carriers ordinarily travel from one end of the raceway structure to the opposite end along a course controlled by the switches. When it is desired to produce fabric in which the transverse threads selectively traverse a different number of longitudinal warps it is necessary to reverse the travel of selected carriers before these carriers reach the end of the raceway.

In accordance with the invention a cut-out member 3'! has been provided to reverse the travel of the carriers engaging therewith, whereas switch elements 24 and 25 have been provided to direct selected carriers into engagement with the cut-out 31 in predetermined order while the unselected carriers traverse the entire length of the outer raceway. By means of the cut-off member 31, the alternate transverse threads ll, Fig. 6, are in the present instance deflected before they reach the out-run portion of the raceway and are thus prevented from interlacing with the longitudinal selvedge warp 9 which is spaced from the main body of the fabric in manner shown. Certain of the remaining carriers are driven through an out-run 2| of the raceway l8 thereby feeding the yarns 8 around the selvedge warp 9 and binding the latter to the main body of the fabric which is composed of the main body warps l and the transverse yarns 8 and H. The individual weft yarns of series 8 and II are fed around the right selvedge warp in the order named by means of the respective carriers 20 which are successively moved to the right terminus of both raceways I8 and 19, Fig.

1, these carriers are operated through the outrun or left terminus 2| of the outer raceway 18 only during alternate traverses, consequently the yarns fed therefrom are successively laced around the spaced selvedge Warp 9 and then around the next adjacent warp 1 during successive cyclic movements thereof to produce the fabric 3| shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In order to permit a horn gear 38, which cooperates with cut-off 31, to fimction properly as a terminal member the structure of the horn portion has been altered to eifect a five-horn structure. The operation of the carriers is so regulated that a carrier is moved into operative position with the horn gear 38 as the leading end of one of the recessed portions meshes therewith, consequently the carrier remains idle during the next quarter revolution of this horn gear until the trailing end of the recessed section abuts the carrier and drives it in the customary manner. It will thus be observed that by means of this recessed horn structure the gear 38 is effective as a fivehorn gear inasmuch as five-fourths revolutions of the gear are required to drive the carrier through a distance corresponding to the travel effected during one revolution of a four-horn gear.

.Elastic fabric produced on mechanism of the type illustrated is for purposes of illustration shown as composed of a series of parallel elastic threads I and 9 extending lengthwise of the fabric. These threads are fed to the braiding point through the hollow stationary gear bolts 16 and are traversed at regular intervals by yarns 8 and II which are fed from the bobbins as their respective carriers 20 are actuated around the sinuous pathway of the outer raceway ifi, or as these carriers follow an irregular course as they pass from one raceway to the other and back again in predetermined order to incorporate a fanciful solid work design therein, such as shown in Fig. 5. A radium effect is produced by actuating selected carriers in predetermined order from the outer raceway to the inner raceway and thence back again to the outer raceway instead of confining their travel exclu sively to the outer raceway. It is pointed out that a carrier operating entirely within the bounds of the outer raceway will successively pass between adjacent longitudinal strands to CII form the main body of the fabric; whereas movement of a carrier into the inner raceway will successively efiect the floating of the thread on one side of a plurality of adjacent longitudinal threads before crossing over to the outer raceway and around the opposite side of the longitudinal threads. Thus whenever a carrier is operated in the inner raceway, the thread fed therefrom is floated across the face of the fabric in manner indicated in Fig. 6, thereby producing a pattern eifect of the kind illustrated in Fig. 5. It will be understood however, that the design of the fabric being braided may readily be changed by varying the pattern lay-out on the mechanisms 22 and 23.

So that the carriers moving in opposite directions will not collide with each other at the various cross-overs, it is customary to provide terminal gears having an odd number of horns as com pared with the intermediate gears which have an evennumber of horns. Thus in the present instance, the terminal gears are so constructed as to be the equivalent of five-horn construction; whereas the intermediate gears are of four-horn structure. It will be understood that the terminal gears at the right hand end, Fig. 1, of both raceways are of five-horn structure, whereas a three and a two-horn gear operate as a single unit at the left end of the outer raceway to effect a five-horn structure; while the cutout portions of gear 38 render this latter gear effective as a five-horn gear. By means of this structure the direction of travel of the carriers is reversed either upon engagement of the carriers with the cutout member 31 or coincident with their movement through the outrun section, and since this change in direction is effected by terminal gear struc ture having an odd number of horn portions, the travel of the carriers will continue uninterruptedly through the various crossovers.

In the present instance warp threads are fed through the hollow gear bolts l6 of the outer raceway while the bolts 166 are empty. By means of this arrangement the end warp 9 is spaced from the main body of the fabric, while the transverse braiding threads or yarns 8 and H which are positioned in definite regular order effect an interstitial structure of the type particularly adapted for use in conjunction with hosiery tops, and more especially with stockings which are held in position on the leg of the wearer by self-contained means such, for instance, as is effected by the elastic tops of knee length hosiery. In a structure of the type disclosed the warp threads are preferably composed of elastic material, thereby imparting lengthwise elasticity to the fabric.

Braided fabric produced in accordance with the invention in which a selvedge portion is separated from the main body of the fabric by means of an intermediate structure comprising regularly spaced interstices, see Figs. and 6, is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with hosiery and the like, in which preformed elastic tops are topped onto the needles of a knitting machine on which the main body of the garment is to be produced, in this manner interknitting the first row of loops of the garment with the preformed garter member to effect a unitary structure.

Although a specific design has been shown in conjunction with the fabric illustrated, it will be understood that various designs may be produced by changing the setting of the pattern control mechanisms 22 and 23.

From the illustrations included it will'be observed that the number of cross-overs made by the transverse yarns with respect to the selvedge warp 9 is appreciably lessv than the number of cross-overs made by the transverse threads with respect to the. main body warps I; it being by means of this structure, in conjunction with the spacing of the warp.9 from the main body of the fabric, that the intermediate interstitial structure 39 is effected. This structure is particularly adapted for topping on to the needles of a knitting machine, following which the braided fabric is united With the main body of the subsequently knitted fabric during a usual operative cycle of the machine. It will also be appreciated that Whereas fabric embodying structure in accord-,

ance with the present invention is particularly adapted for topping on to the needles of a knitting machine for subsequent attachment to hosiery and the like, it is similarly well adapted to be attached to articles of wearing apparel and the like, by sewing, seaming, looping or similar operations.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that operation of fiat braiding machines, in accordance with the method disclosed, will produce a new article of manufacture in which an ornamental pattern effect is combined with a selvedge spaced from the main body of the fabric by an interstitial structure comprising regularly spaced openings in turn defined by adjacent cross-overs of the transverse braiding yarns.

Accordingly, the improvements herein specifically shown and described, by which the above re' sults are obtained, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a braiding machine, the combination with a plurality of carriers. and a pair of communicating raceways providing definite limits of travel for said carriers, of-means for reversing selected carriers at a point spaced from one limit of travel as the unselected carriers traverse to said one limit of travel.

2. In a braiding machine, the combination with a plurality of carriers and a pair of communicating raceways providing definite limits of travel for said carriers, of means comprising pattern controlled members for reversing selected carriers at a point spaced from one limit of travel as the unselected carriers traverse to said one limit of travel.

3. In a braiding machine, the combination with a plurality of carriers and a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction traversable between the limits thereof by said carriers, of means for reversing selected carriers at a point spaced from one limit of said raceways as the unselected carriers traverse to said one limit of said raceways.

4. In a braiding machine, the combination with a plurality of carriers and a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction traversable between the limits thereof by said carriers; of means including pattern-controlled switches for reversing selected carriers at a point spaced from one limit of said raceways as the unselected carriers traverse to said one limit of said raceways.

5. In a braiding machine, the combination with a plurality of carriers, a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction traversable by said carriers, and switch members for controlling the travel of-said carriers between said raceways, of means for limiting the travel of selected carriers having coaction therewith in sequence controlled by said switch members as the unselected carriers travel to the limits of said raceways.

6. In a braiding machine provided with a pair of concentric communicating raceways of opencircle construction, a plurality of carriers traversable between opposite limits of said raceways, a series of thread guides spaced from each other at regular intervals in a limited portion of said raceways, a thread guide spaced from said series of guides a distance substantially greater than the spacing of the guides in said series, of means for confining the travel of selected carriers to said series of regularly spaced thread guides as the unselected carriers traverse all of said thread guides.

7. In a braiding machine the combination comprising, a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction, a plurality of carriers traversable between opposite limits of said raceways, a series of stationary thread guides spaced from each other at regular intervals in a limited portion of one of said raceways, another thread guide spaced from said series of thread guides, and means associated with the other raceway for confining the travel of selected carriers to the series of regularly spaced thread guides as the unselected carriers traverse all of said thread guides.

8. In a braiding machine the combination comprising, a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction, a plurality of carriers traversable between opposite limits of said raceways, a series of stationary thread guides spaced from each other at regular intervals in a limited portion of the outer raceway, another thread guide spaced from said series of thread guides, reversing means associated with the inner raceway for confining the travel of carriers engaging therewith to said series of regularly spaced thread guides, and switch means for guiding selected carriers into engagement with said reversing means.

9. In a braiding machine provided with a pair of parallel communicating raceways, a series of carriers for traversing said raceways, carrier reversing means associated with one of said raceways and spaced from one end thereof, and means for deflecting selected carriers from engagement with the reversing means for travel to the limits of the other raceway.

10. In a braiding machine provided with a pair of concentric communicating raceways of opencircle construction, a series of carriers traversable around said raceways, carrier reversing means associated with the inner raceway and spaced from one end thereof, and means for deflecting selected carriers from the inner raceway for traversing the full extent of the outer raceway.

11. A braiding machine comprising a pair of concentric communicating raceways of opencircle construction, a plurality of carriers traversing said raceways, a series of guide members feeding longitudinally extending strands about which said carriers traverse, and means associated with one of said raceways for reversing selected carriers to limit the number of longitudinal strands traversed thereby and arranged for travel of the unselected carriers throughout the full extent of the other raceway.

12. A braiding machine comprising a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction, a plurality of carriers traversing said raceways, a series of spaced guide members feeding strands longitudinally of the fabric traversable by strands fed from said carriers, pattern-controlled means for guiding said carriers between said raceways, and means associated with one of said raceways for reversing selected carriers to limit the number of strands traversed thereby and arranged for travel of the unselected carriers throughout the full extent of the other raceway.

13. A bi-circle braiding machine comprising, a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction, a series of spaced stationary guide members positioned within areas bounded by one of said raceways for incorporating longitudinally-extending yarns in the fabric, a series of carriers traversing said raceways and feeding yarns around said longitudinally extending yarns, switch members for controlling the travel of said carriers between said raceways, and means associated with one of said raceways for reversing selected carriers at a point spaced from the end longitudinal yarn and arranged for travel of the unselected carriers throughout the full extent of the other raceway.

14. A bi-circle braiding machine comprising, a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction, a series of stationary guide members positioned Within areas bounded by one of said raceways and respectively feeding yarns longitudinally of the fabric, a series of carriers traversing said raceways and interbraiding yarns fed therefrom with said longitudinal yarns, pattern controlled means for deflecting the carriers from one raceway to another, and means for limiting the travel of selected carriers to a limited zone of one of said raceways and arranged for travel of the unselected carriers throughout the full extent of the other raceway.

15. A method of braiding on a machine provided with a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction and a plurality of carriers traversable between limits of said raceways comprising, actuation of the carriers in said raceways, reversing selected carriers at a point spaced from one limit of one of said raceways and driving the unselected carriers to the limit of the other raceway.

16. A method of braiding on a machine provided with a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction and a plurality of carriers traversable between limits of said raceways comprising, actuation of the carriers in said raceways, reversing selected carriers at a point spaced from one limit of one of said raceways, and deflecting the unselected carriers into the other raceway to travel to the limit thereof.

1'7. A method of braiding, on a machine provided with a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction and a plurality of carriers respectively feeding transverse braiding strands and traversable around said raceways, comprising, traversing a series of spaced longitudinally extending strands by a plurality of transverse braiding strands, reversing selected transverse strands at a point spaced from one of the end longitudinal strands, feeding the unselected strands around both of the end longitudinal strands, and varying the number of longitudinally extending strands traversed by said transverse strands between crossovers from one face of the fabric to the other.

18. A method of braiding on a machine pro- Vided with a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open-circle construction, a plurality of carriers traversable between limits of said raceways, a series of thread guides in a limited portion of said raceways and a thread guide spaced from said series of guides, comprising, actuating the carriers in said raceways, confining the travel of selected carriers to said series of thread guides and driving the unselected carriers around all of said guides.

19. In a braiding machine provided with a pair of concentric communicating raceways of open circle construction, a plurality of carriers traversable between opposite limits of said raceways, a series of thread guides spaced from each other in a limited portion of said raceways, a thread guide spaced from said series of guides a distance substantially greater than the spacing of the guides in said series, of means for confining the travel of selected carriers to said series of regularly spaced thread guides as the unselected carriers traverse all of said thread guides.

CONRAD J. BUSCH. 

